sketchpads and pencils.
“Yeah, me too.” I stare hard at the ground, silently begging him not to ask me out again. We only have a week left before the end of the semester anyway, so perhaps he won’t.
He presses open the door to our class. “I was thinking that maybe-”
I cut him off by ducking under his arm and slipping inside the room. “Oh, we better hurry. We’re late.”
Brad nods in understanding , and we weave through the class to find our seats. I heave a sigh of relief when I slink down onto mine. I know I’ve only postponed the inevitable, but that’s okay for now. At least that buys me time.
Two
Tripp
I hoist a box out of Mom’s car. My joints creak and my hands tremble, but I grip it tightly and head toward her new apartment. I pass a couple of college-aged girls. They shoot me appreciative glances, and I smile. I ignore the pain in my arms from the weight of the box.
“Tripp.” Mom comes around the corner, her hair tied back at the nape of her neck. She places a sle nder hand on the hip of her jeans. “Put that box down. I’ve got it.”
“I can help, Mom.” I shove past her, still struggling to keep holding the box. When I get into the apartment, the scent of fresh paint wafts under my nose. I’m grateful to drop the box onto the floor , and it lands with a loud thud that reverberates through the empty space. I rub my stiff arms, and take a deep breath. The apartment is small with bare white walls and boxes strewn throughout.
“What do you think?” Mom sets down a nother box near the front door.
I shrug. “It’s fine.”
“It’s nice to be back in Folsom, don’t you think?”
“I don’t know. I kind of liked it in San Francisco.”
Mom steps toward me, her eyes filled with understanding. “You can’t keep running forever.”
I hate that she knows me so well. “I’m not running from anything.” I brush past her. “Are there anymore boxes in the car?”
“No. I’ve got them all. Why don’t you sit and rest?”
Irritation bubbles inside of me. “I’m not that fragile, Mom.”
She narrows her eyes . “I know, but is it so wrong to worry about my son?”
“Yes, it is. I’m an adult now. I can take care of myself.”
Mom smirks. “Can you now? Well, that’s good to hear.”
I know she’s mocking me , but I just humor her and smile back. She runs her hands over the thigh of her jeans. I marvel at how much Mom has changed since she and Dad split up. Growing up she was always this shell of a woman – hollow eyes, vacant looks. And she lacked personality, almost like she was a living, breathing robot. But now she laughs and tells jokes. She’s sarcastic and witty. It’s been an amazing transformation to witness.
“I guess we should get unpacking.” I can’t hide the disdain in my voice.
“I know you didn’t want to move back, Tripp.”
I lock eyes with Mom. “Actually , I’m surprised you wanted to come back. This town holds just as many bad memories for you as it does for me.” A week after my brother got married, Mom informed me that we were moving back to Folsom, and I was floored. It’s the last place on earth I ever thought we’d end up.
“It’s not like we had anything keeping us in San Francisco once your brother left.” She sweeps her arms out. “Besides, this is where you grew up. I have friends here and so do you. It just makes sense.”
“It won’t be hard to be here where everyone knows about Dad?”
Mom smiles. “Honey, he can’t hurt me anymore. Don’t worry about that.”
I turn from her and reach into a nearby box.
“Are you going to see her?” Mom’s voice stops me cold.
“Who?”
She laughs. “You know who. Hadley.”
Just the sound of her name causes a wave of emotion to rush over me. I picture her brown hair and eyes, her sweet smile. Closing my eyes, I conjure up the memory of her lips on mine. And just like that all my feelings for her surface again, making it hard to draw breath. I’ve never
“Yeah, me too.” I stare hard at the ground, silently begging him not to ask me out again. We only have a week left before the end of the semester anyway, so perhaps he won’t.
He presses open the door to our class. “I was thinking that maybe-”
I cut him off by ducking under his arm and slipping inside the room. “Oh, we better hurry. We’re late.”
Brad nods in understanding , and we weave through the class to find our seats. I heave a sigh of relief when I slink down onto mine. I know I’ve only postponed the inevitable, but that’s okay for now. At least that buys me time.
Two
Tripp
I hoist a box out of Mom’s car. My joints creak and my hands tremble, but I grip it tightly and head toward her new apartment. I pass a couple of college-aged girls. They shoot me appreciative glances, and I smile. I ignore the pain in my arms from the weight of the box.
“Tripp.” Mom comes around the corner, her hair tied back at the nape of her neck. She places a sle nder hand on the hip of her jeans. “Put that box down. I’ve got it.”
“I can help, Mom.” I shove past her, still struggling to keep holding the box. When I get into the apartment, the scent of fresh paint wafts under my nose. I’m grateful to drop the box onto the floor , and it lands with a loud thud that reverberates through the empty space. I rub my stiff arms, and take a deep breath. The apartment is small with bare white walls and boxes strewn throughout.
“What do you think?” Mom sets down a nother box near the front door.
I shrug. “It’s fine.”
“It’s nice to be back in Folsom, don’t you think?”
“I don’t know. I kind of liked it in San Francisco.”
Mom steps toward me, her eyes filled with understanding. “You can’t keep running forever.”
I hate that she knows me so well. “I’m not running from anything.” I brush past her. “Are there anymore boxes in the car?”
“No. I’ve got them all. Why don’t you sit and rest?”
Irritation bubbles inside of me. “I’m not that fragile, Mom.”
She narrows her eyes . “I know, but is it so wrong to worry about my son?”
“Yes, it is. I’m an adult now. I can take care of myself.”
Mom smirks. “Can you now? Well, that’s good to hear.”
I know she’s mocking me , but I just humor her and smile back. She runs her hands over the thigh of her jeans. I marvel at how much Mom has changed since she and Dad split up. Growing up she was always this shell of a woman – hollow eyes, vacant looks. And she lacked personality, almost like she was a living, breathing robot. But now she laughs and tells jokes. She’s sarcastic and witty. It’s been an amazing transformation to witness.
“I guess we should get unpacking.” I can’t hide the disdain in my voice.
“I know you didn’t want to move back, Tripp.”
I lock eyes with Mom. “Actually , I’m surprised you wanted to come back. This town holds just as many bad memories for you as it does for me.” A week after my brother got married, Mom informed me that we were moving back to Folsom, and I was floored. It’s the last place on earth I ever thought we’d end up.
“It’s not like we had anything keeping us in San Francisco once your brother left.” She sweeps her arms out. “Besides, this is where you grew up. I have friends here and so do you. It just makes sense.”
“It won’t be hard to be here where everyone knows about Dad?”
Mom smiles. “Honey, he can’t hurt me anymore. Don’t worry about that.”
I turn from her and reach into a nearby box.
“Are you going to see her?” Mom’s voice stops me cold.
“Who?”
She laughs. “You know who. Hadley.”
Just the sound of her name causes a wave of emotion to rush over me. I picture her brown hair and eyes, her sweet smile. Closing my eyes, I conjure up the memory of her lips on mine. And just like that all my feelings for her surface again, making it hard to draw breath. I’ve never
Similar Books
